The invention relates to a servicing device for one or more open end spinning frames constituted by at least two function elements for execution of different servicing operations, each function element being an independently mobile part instrument, which servicing device has a traveling mechanism as well as drives and controls for said function elements.
From German OS No. 2,008,142 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,126 is known that mobile servicing instruments can be provided for open end spinning frames which are supposed to execute a substantially automatic piecing, cleaning or bobbin exchange or the like at the individual spinning assemblies. The servicing device comprises a single servicing instrument or a plurality of independent mobile instruments. This is advantageous because some servicing operations can be subdivided into at least two steps, namely preparatory and supplementary operations which can be effected in succession. For example the piecing process on an open end spinning assembly can be broken down into cleaning -- especially cleaning of the spinning rotor -- and the actual piecing operation (German OS No. 2,350,840; corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,926). If these devices which effect the supplementary operations are disposed in independent part instruments, they can work simultaneously at different spinning assemblies so that within a given time several spinning assemblies can be completely serviced. In addition, this division into several part instruments is advantageous for reasons of construction, because many function elements can only, with some difficulty, be disposed in a single servicing instrument in such a way that they can all be presented to the same spinning assemblies.
In practice it has been found that the mobile part instruments also require a substantial amount of space in which the function elements as well as their drives and controls and the traveling mechanism with its drive can be disposed. In most cases it cannot be prevented, particularly since the space between machines that stand parallel to each other is not too large, that the part instruments will have more width than that of the spinning assemblies which are to be serviced. This has the result that in some situations two servicing instruments that are to execute supplementary servicing operations mutually block each other if adjacent assemblies are to be serviced. In this case, the following part instrument must wait idly until the leading part instrument has completed its work.
The invention is addressed to the problem of constructing part instruments of a servicing device in such a way that they do not block each other, allowing execution of work on adjacent spinning assemblies. This problem is solved in that the function elements of each part instrument are combined in an edge zone, whereas the rest of the space contains the appurtenant drives and controls, whereby the edge zones of the part instruments with the function elements that are designed to execute mutually supplementing servicing operations are turned toward each other.
This construction not only offers the advantage that the part instruments can travel close together and in some situations even work on the same assembly, but also that the part instruments are neatly grouped so that it is possible to have modular assembly construction.
In certain preferred embodiments, the part instruments which together constitute a servicing device are independently mobile, as well as detachably coupleable together for simultaneous travel. To accommodate independent travel, each of the respective part instruments have their own travel mechanism. When the part instruments are coupled together only one of the drive mechanisms need to be driven.
In certain other preferred embodiments, the part instruments only travel when coupled with another part instrument; accordingly only one travel mechanism drive is needed.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.